Front Row Motorsports announced Monday David Ragan will pilot the teams No. 34 Ford Fusion in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition during the 2012 season

Ragan, who has worked diligently over the off season to locate a new ride, replaces Travis Kvapil at the two-car operation. David Gilliland returns to FRM to drive the No. 38 Ford this season.

"Front Row has made great progress in the last few years, and I look forward to helping them advance to the next level," Ragan said.  "I think the team appreciates what I can bring to the table, and I think it's a good opportunity for both of us. I've also enjoyed a long relationship with Ford and I'm glad that I'll get to keep working with them."

Joining the Sprint Cup circuit in 2009, Front Row enjoyed its best season in 2011 with one top-five, three top-15 and five top-20 finishes en route to both cars finishing in the top-35 in owner points guaranteeing Ragan and Gilliland starting positions in the first five races of 2012, including the Daytona 500.

While no sponsorship has been announced team owner Bob Jenkins is committed to fielding competitive teams for years to come.

"When you look at some of the large, storied teams in NASCAR that have been running for decades, we're still pretty young by comparison," said Jenkins. "But I like the upgrades we're making and the improvements we're seeing, and I am confident we will be able to compete with them on a consistent basis in the not-too-distant future.

"We took some pretty big steps in our race program last year and adding David Ragan is another giant step in the right direction."

 MORE NASCAR NEWS